This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 21, 2026 - September 27, 2026

ON Sept 18, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, granted Datuk Seri Najib Razak a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence for his SRC International conviction under house arrest until August 2028. 

The one condition attached is payment of the commuted fine of RM50 million. Any breach of the statutory terms will result in the immediate revocation of the pardon and a return to prison.

Najib was convicted in 2020 for his role in the SRC International corruption case, one of several major trials linked to the mega 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal. He began serving his initial 12-year sentence at Kajang Prison in August 2022 after the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal.

But the former prime minister persisted in asking for a royal pardon. In early 2024, with the approval of the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the pardons board halved Najib’s prison term to six years and reduced the RM210 million fine to RM50 million. This time around, the pardons board granted a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve those six years under house arrest, subject to the payment of the RM50 million fine.

“If he fails to comply with any of the conditions, then this conditional pardon is void, and he must immediately continue serving the remainder of his sentence in prison,” said the Law Department of the Prime Minister’s Department in a Sept 18 statement, following the pardons board’s meeting.

In December 2025, Najib was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine of RM11.4 billion after being convicted of abuse of power and money laundering involving more than RM2 billion in the 1MDB-Tanore trial. He is currently appealing this conviction, while facing several other 1MDB-related cases.

Federal Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, then sat as the High Court judge in the trial and delivered his much-awaited judgment on Dec 26 last year. Unconvinced by Najib’s main defence that the money deposited into his personal bank accounts were a “donation” from the former Saudi monarch, the judge commented that the world and press had taken to describing the financial scandal as being the “largest episode of kleptocracy in the world”. 

“The scale of the plunder that took place (financially speaking) made Attila the Hun look like a choirboy in comparison,” he wrote.

In his 810-page judgment, Sequerah also described the challenges in concluding the trial, which had run for a period of six years, during which he heard the testimony of 50 prosecution and 26 defence witnesses, including Najib himself.

Sequerah pointed out that Najib was charged in 2018 and the case transferred to the KL High Court on Oct 31, 2018. But the trial only commenced on Aug 19, 2019, to make way for the SRC International case.

In the end, he found Najib guilty on all four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering to the sum of RM2.27 billion. The former prime minister was sentenced to 15 years’ jail and a fine of RM11.4 billion on Dec 26, 2025.

Najib currently owes more than RM13 billion in court-ordered fines and tax penalties, alongside another US$1.3 billion in civil damages, following convictions and judgments across multiple legal battles, all or most of which have been stayed, pending his appeals.

Apart from Najib’s pardon, the corridors of justice have been abuzz with activity these past few weeks as a string of high-profile cases have gone to court.

Earlier last week, former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was cleared of four of the seven charges in his ongoing criminal case after the prosecution withdrew those specific charges. About a fortnight before, on Aug 27, his successor, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob, also had his day in court where he claimed trial to charges over his asset declaration. And barely a day later, ex-minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan faced graft charges.

The wave of prosecutions also continued to engulf key figures identified in the Tabung Haji (TH) Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) and included charges against ex-minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and ex-TH chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

Here is a brief summary of the charges and pertinent points of the case.

1. Muhyiddin

Malaysia’s eighth PM was acquitted of one charge of abuse of power for soliciting RM200 million from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd and three ensuing money-laundering charges for the funds deposited into Bersatu’s bank account.

The acquittal, however, is not the end of the 79-year-old’s legal woes as he is still on trial for three counts of abuse of power related to the Jana Wibawa programme, a stimulus package meant to help bumiputera contractors hit by the construction slowdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The prosecution has wrapped up its case and all parties will present their oral submissions on Nov 26, before the court sets a date for the decision on whether Muhyiddin will have to enter his defence or walks free.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib applied for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for the abovementioned four charges without providing grounds for the application in court. A DNAA means that Muhyiddin could face the same charges in the future.

However, High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin granted a full acquittal, given that no witnesses or evidence related to these charges were before the court and no specific grounds were provided by the prosecution. “Therefore, I am of the view that in the interest of justice, the discretion of the court is to be in favour of the accused, and that is to order him to be discharged and acquitted …,” she said.

In a statement later that night, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) said it could not jeopardise the evidential basis for the remaining charges and had to ensure that it only pursued charges backed by sufficient evidence which could be defended in court. This, the AGC stressed, did not mean that the Bukhary Equity charges had been brought without basis and that the transactions investigated did not take place.

2. Ismail Sabri

Muhyiddin’s successor as prime minister was charged on Aug 27 with a single charge of failure to declare assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). He was accused of intentionally providing a written statement that did not comply with the terms of the MACC notice dated by failing to declare cash in various currencies as well as gold and silver bars.

The sum included RM14.77 million in Malaysian currency, S$6.13 million, US$1.46 million, CHF3 million, €12.16 million, ¥363 million, £50,250, NZ$44,600, AED34.75 million and A$352,850. The gold not declared amounted to five bars weighing 1kg each and a gold coin weighing 5g, while the silver not declared was a 100g bar.

Ismail Sabri has claimed trial to the charge framed under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act, which carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a fine not exceeding RM100,000.

The ninth PM’s day in court was not without drama as proceedings, which were initially slated for earlier in August, had to be postponed for his surgery due to arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat caused by abnormal electrical signals in the heart.

The defence team, led by counsel Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, says it is baffled by the charge against its client, noting that the assets he allegedly failed to declare are currently in the government’s possession. That is because the Sessions Court, in forfeiture proceedings last October, ordered that over RM169 million in cash, allegedly linked to Ismail Sabri and his former political secretary Datuk Mohammad Anuar Mohd Yunus, be forfeited to the Malaysian government.

The money was among the items seized by the MACC following raids on homes and offices believed to be used as “safe houses”. This is the same amount mentioned in the charge on Aug 27, with the addition of gold and silver.

Addressing the court, Amer said: “But unknown to us for a very strange reason, we now appear before you, and they are now going to prosecute the very same subject matter which has been disposed of. We will be looking into the charge and [scrutinising] it. We reserve the right to challenge the propriety of this charge.”

However, DPP Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan contended that whether to prosecute or not remains at the discretion of the attorney general (AG) and the current case against Ismail Sabri differs from the forfeiture proceedings.

3. M Saravanan

The former human resources minister was charged on Aug 28 with three counts of receiving a total of RM1 million as an incentive to approve the quota of 1,000 foreign workers for a local company.

All three charges state that the money was received through one Syed Amirul Syed Ahmad in the form of cash and a cheque. Saravanan is accused of committing the offence in mid-2022, when he was still heading the Ministry of Human Resources.

All three charges are framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009 and carry a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the gratification amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

The 58-year-old has claimed trial. Calling the allegations “wild”, Saravanan — who is deputy president of MIC — denied knowing Syed Amirul or having had any connection with the man who is now deceased. He also claimed that Syed Amirul had previously made statutory declarations denying the ex-minister’s involvement in any deals.

4. Jamil Khir

In the aftermath of the TH RCI, former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs, Jamil Khir was charged with three counts of misappropriation of Lembaga Tabung Haji property worth nearly RM861 million from 2015 to 2017.

All the charges are framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code. If convicted, the 65-year-old could face a jail term of six months to five years and be liable for whipping and a fine for each charge. However, Jamil may be spared the cane due to his age.

Addressing the press after the charges, the former Jerai member of Parliament said the case was related to TH’s lease of hotels in Makkah and Madinah. “With regards to accommodation [for pilgrims], I took the approach for us to lock in the hotels for a long period in order to get a return. The [locked-in price] for the hotel accommodation is to reduce the haj costs. However, I am charged today and this would require me to defend myself during trial,” he said, adding that he will clear his name in court.

5. Abdul Azeez

Another charge linked to the TH RCI is against its former chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, who faces one charge of graft linked to construction company Putrajaya Perdana Bhd.

Abdul Azeez, who headed the pilgrims’ fund board from 2013 to 2018, is accused of misusing his position in August 2014 to land himself the role of chairman of Putrajaya Perdana, which came with an annual salary of RM690,000 and a BMW 7 Series car along with a driver. The 59-year-old was chairman of Putrajaya Perdana from January 2015 to 2018.

Abdul Azeez is also alleged to have instructed Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, then CEO of TH at the time of the alleged offence, to propose him as the representative of the pilgrims’ fund board in Putrajaya Perdana. The former Baling member of Parliament is also accused of convincing the TH board to approve an investment of up to RM193.5 million in Putrajaya Perdana.

The single charge is framed under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009. If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Pleading not guilty to the charges, Abdul Azeez stressed: “I understand and the charge is not true at all. I claim trial.”

The RCI report had flagged 14 problematic investments, including one in Putrajaya Perdana that resulted in a RM193.5 million loss for the fund.

Defence counsel Amer Hamzah, who is also representing Abdul Azeez, said these investigations were not something new and had begun as early as 2017 or 2018.

Separately, Abdul Azeez had been remanded earlier to assist investigations into cheating linked to TH’s hibah (gift) payouts to depositors.

This is not Abdul Azeez’s first time in court. In December 2022, he was acquitted of three counts of allegedly accepting RM5.2 million in bribes and six charges of laundering a total of RM972,414.60 in relation to road projects in Perak and Kedah between 2010 and 2018.

Then AG Tan Sri Idrus Harun said the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Other TH-linked charges in recent weeks include:

•     On Sept 3, two former managers linked to TH Properties claimed trial to criminal breach of trust (CBT) and abetment for pocketing RM72,000 of penalties that had been imposed on contractors.

Former health and safety manager with THP Bina Sdn Bhd, a construction and project management subsidiary of TH Properties Sdn Bhd, Nasahruddin Ahmad was charged with three counts of CBT for depositing the penalties collected from a contractor into his personal bank account. The company, Fourth Wave Sdn Bhd, was developing an office complex in Putrajaya.

Former deputy general manager of TH Properties Sdn Bhd Tengku Kamalrolhisham Tengku Kamaruddin was charged on the same day with allegedly directing Nasaruddin to commit the alleged offence.

Both claimed trial before the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur.

•     Former Lembaga Tabung Haji chief operating officer Datuk Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani was scheduled to be charged simultaneously that morning at the Shah Alam court. However, proceedings had to be postponed to Sept 24 because he had been admitted to University Malaya Medical Centre for a heart-related treatment.

•     Two weeks later, a former construction project manager with THP Timur Sdn Bhd was charged with three counts of CBT for pocketing penalties worth RM14,000 from a contractor for a commercial building project owned by Lembaga Tabung Haji.

Mohamad Hashim Mukhatap pleaded not guilty to the charge of depositing the sum from the contractor, Kelpile Sdn Bhd, into his personal bank account.

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